Goodnight
by Kiwi Curry
Summary: There he was... a fatal wound below his heart. She reached him just in time for his final wish to be granted.


Goodnight

Kiwi Curry

Yeah, yeah, we all know you're amazed I actually wrote something new.

Rated T for violence, heartbreak, character death, lil' bit of language, angst, floating blood and regular blood. Just read, you'll catch on.

_Disclaimer: C'mon… you should know by now that if I were to own Avatar I would be making a million more seasons, not working on random fan fics. _

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Everything was happening so quickly, yet time seemed to screech to a halt as a certain blue eyed beauty gazed at the back of the battlefield where many a solider lay in a pool of blood. There, among the tattered clothing and rubble of explosions, was a soul she had grown quite close to, despite her self warnings.

Zuko.

There was a time when he was a prince, bathed in the most elegant of robes, tended to hand and foot by personal servants, a crown, longing to be placed upon his raven-black hair, an entire nation at his disposal. And what did he do? He gave them all up to help the Fire Nation's biggest threat.

A young Monk, not even 13.

Most would have scoffed at the absurdity of this idea, turning their attention to the ever growing empire that would surely soon take over the world, scurrying to the top of the food chain before all the good spots were taken.

In fact, had an aging, tea loving old man not cracked through the nut-like shell surrounded the Fire Prince's head, the Avatar may very well have mastered Firebending in time for the comet, throwing the world into utter chaos.

In fact, the reason the group of young warriors (or _Gaang,_ as the Water Tribe warrior liked to call it) were at the royal palaces had a simple explanation. They weren't there for a joy-ride, no way.

No, they were fighting, but fighting for their freedom, a much worthier cause.

After mere weeks of training, the big day came… the day where the Earth would either be free of the burdens of war, rebuilding and helping others around, or falling into a never ending cycle of terror.

And now, scrambling over the debris of a great battle like a crab crawled Katara, staying low to the ground so the jets of fire and earth would pass over her.

The stench of burning flesh and smoke choked her lungs, wrapping around her throat and snaking down her throat. She began to gag before summoning water to her parched and cracked lips, storing enough in case Zuko was hurt.

After another tumble Katara found herself about 50 yards away from her destination.

Creeping along stealthy Katara gained new scratches and a small prick began to ooze blood but she hardly noticed. The state of the former Fire Prince was much more intriguing.

His head was turned to the side, conveniently facing a_way _from the frantic Waterbender, his hair splashed to the side, damp with sweat.

Her tongue sticking out in concentration, Katara stumbled forward, bursting with a new found energy. Shoving aside a confused and aching Fire Nation solider like a sack of potatoes Katara reached the Firebender with the same scar she had come to hate – and adore.

"Zuko," she whispered, bending over his muscular form and brushing aside the messy raven-black hair. When he didn't answer, she gently slapped his cheek with the back of her hand several times, only to find the method causing a nasty pick color to grace his skin.

"C'mon…" she muttered. "Do something… anything!"

An explosion cut Katara's rants short and as she covered Zuko protectively with her entire body. After the dust settled Katara raised her head up to see the damage and what the hell could have caused that.

It seemed as if an Earthbender had gotten frisky and decided Fire Lord Ozai's palace needed a new passageway right between the throne room and entrance.

A strange glow illuminated the vast space and Katara craned her neck to see what the reason was for it. A blue light shot past her, nearly blinding her as she slowly realized what it was.

Aang entering the Avatar State.

Thinking about it sent shivers up her spine even after seeing it so many times. Snapping her attention back to the job at hand, she pushed her shredded sleeves up past her skinny elbows.

Placing a shaky hand over Zuko's chest, Katara recoiled in disgust as liquid met her bare flesh. Examining the fluid, Katara quickly realized it was one of the body's best – and worst – friends.

Blood.

In hysterics, the healer split Zuko's shirt open, a clean cut. Dirt and clay-like mud was caked on, but Katara didn't have enough water to wash that off_ and _heal, so she was forced to use the red stuff all around her.

Repulsed at what she was about to do, the Waterbender closed her sapphire eyes tightly before feeling the rhythmic beat of liquid calling to her.

A young man by the name of Suson was Katara's play toy and as his face drained of color, Katara's fingers filled up. Her first instinct as the chilling juice hit her skin was to hurl it across the room, to find a nice clean stream to clean off her mate...

To put it simply, she _hated _doing this.

As the bile rose in her throat, Katara sloshed the red water over her comrade, washing off all traces of muck but leaving a fresh trail of the essential thing that kept all humans alive.

Tearing off a strip of her already damaged clothing, Katara swallowed and cleaned Zuko's torso as well as one could with a piece of muddy fabric and blood.

Katara's eyes widened as she hastily finished, spotting a gaping wound directly below his heart. "Damnit!" she squeaked.

Gran Gran surely would have frowned upon her language, but when someone you care about is about to leave this world… well that's an exception isn't it?

Beckoning the uncontaminated water to her fingertips, Katara inwardly smiled at the ordinary feeling of sparkling water flowing between the cracks in her fingers.

She had work to do.

Swaying the water across Zuko's lesion like the beating of a drum, Katara concentrated like none other. Suddenly everyone and everything disappeared. a memory locked in some part of her brain.

It was just her and Zuko in a never-ending valley of white, her shot to save a life she had grown attached to. She even wondered what might have happened had Aang not busted their connection in Ba Sing Se. Zuko may be scarless, Azula may have lost, and Ba Sing Se may have remained invincible.

But there was not going back. A sudden shout brought her back to the present as she quickly sliced a pole heading for her. _Time's running out,_ she thought and in desperation, used all her power to help mend the yawning gash.

Abruptly she realized there was no chance to save him, no way to save a being, no way to save Zuko. The object had injected itself deep in Zuko's flesh, skimming off a vital organ. He was still breathing, sure, but you couldn't just _make _another lung or kidney or whatever could you?

"No, no, no…" Katara muttered as something clouded her vision and a salty tear slipped down her cheek, sliding down her sooty nose until, with a _drip! _it fell upon – no, _in _– Zuko's injury.

Like a switch flicking on, Zuko's eyes cracked open a notch, but not enough for a uptight Waterbender to notice.

"Don't go…" she whispered pathetically, flinging her arms around his neck, hugging him to death. "Whatever you do don't leave me…" she sobbed into his chest, not decoding any of the stares she was receiving. All she wanted right now was to see his piercing orbs gazing at her from across the fire, to see his heart-melting smile, to hear his voice…

"I love you!"

The words spilled from her mouth before she could stop them. She didn't regret them and she never would. Through all the confusion and anger and loathing Zuko had penetrated the wall around her heart she had worked so hard to create.

And now the man who wouldn't just use her was going. He was gradually slipping away from this world, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

A pair of weak arms unexpectedly wrapped themselves around the bawling Waterbender, pulling her into a platypus bear hug.

Jumping in surprise, Katara found herself staring into those eyes she had longed to look into only a moment before. Zuko's eyes may have been glazed over, like he wasn't fully awake yet, but they were there, and that was good enough for her.

"I love you too."

Slowly he craned neck, placing a delicate kiss on her lips.

Though it was a short sort of peck, lights exploded behind Katara's eyes, stars whirled though her head. He was so tender, yet at the same time so powerful…

Her eyes began to swim as his fragile hold on her slithered into nothing, his intense golden orbs dulling to a Carmel color as he gaped at space, a deep breath whistling from between his splintered mouth.

She wept, for she knew he would never breathe again.

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A:N// For the record, the day Zuko dies is the day I jump off a cliff. I don't want Zuko to die any more than you do, but as I finished this story I realized it would be so much more… dramatic, I guess. Anyway, if you would be so kind as to review that would make me quite happy.


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